BookMark greets writers who focus on
working memory, tales of Turner and today

FWA news about meetings, contests, and
workshops

Elvisology project still accepting
submissions

Stuff from a Writer’s Quill — Mark Twain

The Wrong Stuff – Howard Denson

Stuff from Hither and Yon

Writers Born This Month

NFW suspends dues indefinitely

Meetings of NFW and Other Groups

Useful Links

Need someone to critique a manuscript?

The Write Staff

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D.B. Barton builds an imaginary

cruise ship in the desert and

will tell NFW how to float its boat

..

Mystery
writer Diane B. Barton will speak to the North Florida Writers at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 12,at the Webb Wesconnett
Library (6887 103rd St., Jax 32210; 904.778.7305; corner of 103rd
Street and Harlow Boulevard, to the east of I-295). The public is welcome to
attend.

Ms.
Barton says, “I fell in love with Las Vegas the first time I visited the city
and decided that my hero also had to experience Sin City while working for
Flagship Cruise Line. I then created a hotel that resembled an ocean-going
vessel. They say, if you build it, they will come!”

Barton’s newly married sleuths, Alec
DunBarton and Paige Anderson, interrupt their romance to narrow down their
field of suspects to six motley chefs competing on The Ship for a
grand prize of $250,000.

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Ms.
Barton is originally from New
York City but is now a resident of Jacksonville. She has a master’s degree in
education (Social Studies) and loves to travel when not working on her next
project.

For
the critiques, someone other than the author of respective works will read
aloud the submissions (up to 10 double-spaced TYPED pages of prose, and
reasonable amounts of poetry or lyrics). Authors may not defend their work,
but they may attach questions they would like answered (e.g., “Is the scene
on the beach convincing?”). Authors should listen to the words and rhythms of
their creations.

The
First Coast Romance Writers will hear an award-winning author at their
meeting on Oct. 12 at the West Regional Library (1425 Chaffee Rd. S.,
halfway between I-10 and Normandy Boulevard).Catherine
Kean will conduct a workshop on figurative language beginning at 10:30 a.m.
and then participate in a parody of a radio call-in show for writers.

Catherine
Kean has always loved tales of heroic knights and stubborn damsels. She
penned her first novella at age twelve and her first full-length manuscript
at sixteen.

After completing a B.A., double major (first class), in English and History
from the University of Victoria, B.C., Canada, she was accepted into the
post-graduate Works of Art Course run by Sotheby's auctioneers in London,
England, where she studied centuries of history, antiques, and fine
art. She worked in Canada for several years as an antique and fine art
appraiser.

Her
debut medieval historical romance, Dance of Desire, was the launch
title of Medallion Press' Sapphire Jewel Imprint. Dance of Desire won
two Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Best Medieval in industry review magazine Affaire
de Coeur’s2006 Reader-Writers’ Poll, and finaled in four contests
for published romance novelists.

Her
other medieval romances have also garnered accolades. Among them, My Lady's Treasure,won the
historical category of the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Contest and
finaled in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. A Knight’s Rewardwas a 2008 National
Readers’ Choice Awards finalist.

Ms. Kean also writes contemporary romances as Cate Lord. Her romantic comedy Lucky Girlwas released in
trade paperback and eBook by Entangled Publishing in September 2011.

Busy working on her next novel, she lives in Central Florida with her
husband, daughter, and two very spoiled rescue cats.

In
her workshop on figurative language, she will emphasize that a strong, unique
writing voice is crucial to selling and staying sold in today’s publishing
world. Ms. Kean will help define voice and show authors how to use figurative
language to enrich one’s characters and stories, using examples and a short
written exercise.

In
the afternoon, Ms. Kean will join T. Elliott Brown and Caro Carson on WPUB:
The Radio Show for Writers Who Want to Know. Using a talk show radio format
with commercial parodies and phone-in callers, four critique partners who
have experience as authors and editors in traditional (Big Six),
digital/small press, and indie (self) publishing answer the hard questions
for writers interested in exploring all their publishing options.
Current income numbers and production costs will be provided to help
authors judge what one can expect to spend and realistically earn in all
formats.

Most readers are still relying on old-fashioned books (which
don’t need batteries), but they may still feel unsettled when an ebook
arrives. They don’t have a Kindle, Nook, or a generic readers. What are they
to do?

Maloy says that other e-readers (like Sony) will have
instructions on their websites on how to get the app onto your preferred
machine. (Scroll down in this newsletter to see a book by Maloy that [hint,
hint] you might be interested in.)

.

.

‘Faulkner meets
Honey Boo-Boo’

In Maloy’s novel of
the South

Rick
Maloy’s novel, “Replacement Children,” is close to
being available on Amazon. A pre-publication edition was sent out to
reviewers and has garnered positive feedback. To purchase, go to http://www.amazon.com.

Parker Francis, author of the Quint Mitchell Mystery series, has
said, “Faulkner meets Honey Boo-Boo in the Southern-fried reality show
that is Rick Maloy’s ‘Replacement
Children.’ Much like the morbid attraction of a roadside wreck, the
clash of culture and class in Maloy’s debut novel shines a spotlight on the
human condition with a cast of characters readers will remember long after
the last page is turned.”

Russell Rowland, author of “High
and Inside,” “In Open Spaces,” and “The Watershed Years,” said that the novel
“brilliantly explores how the pull of money can affect people no matter where
they started, whether it’s the wealthy, entitled Granville family or the sad
but ambitious Desiree Woods. Maloy’s characters squander their emotional and
mental energy trying to find the next angle, with no regard to those they’re
manipulating. But he does a masterful job of showing where every machination
eventually leads, and the tragic consequences of greed come through in
frightening ways with every twist in this fascinating plot. With ‘Replacement
Children,’ Maloy has produced a fabulous debut novel.

Maloy asks readers to buy through the books through Amazon since
half of what he nets on this will go to the Wounded Warriors Project.
“Moreover,” he says, “if Amazon sees a fast start for the book, they'll
promote it in-house. That's how sales gain real traction.”

Maloy attended Villanova and Fairleigh Dickinson Universities,
graduating with a B.S. in Business Management. He committed to full-time
writing after selling his NYC financial services business in 2004. His
stories have won (2007) and placed (2008) in the Florida First Coast Writers’
short fiction contests. Other stories have appeared in numerous e-zines until
2010 when he turned his focus to writing novels. “Replacement Children” is
his first release.

Rick and his “first-and-only wife,” Ann Marie, live in Ponte
Vedra Beach. He can be reached at: rick@rickmaloy.com.

Levine takes ‘book trailers’

on the road with Oct. 16 talk

for Clay Writers in Orange Park

Richard
Levine is taking his “book trailer” talk on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 16,
when he demonstrates to FWA Clay County Writers “The Art of Book
Trailers.” The group meets 6:15 to 8
p.m. at Orange Park Library, 2054 Plainfield Avenue, off Kingsley Ave., just
behind the Dairy Queen.

Levine
discusses the what, why and how of book trailers. “Video and print can be
friends,” he says. “You can use video to promote your writing career.” This
session will explore the following:

1. What
a book trailer is.

2. How
to use a book trailer to market your book.

3. The
basics of making a book trailer.

Richard
Levine’s writing won him a Charlie Award for Best Feature Article from the
Florida Magazine Association. The short films that he has written have won a
Silver Medal for Excellence at the Park City Music Film Festival and six
Crystal Reel Awards. One screenplay was a semi-finalist in the Tulsa Film
Festival and a finalist in the Dixie and Beverly Hills Film Festivals. His
co-authored books include “Smoke and Mirrors: Making the Transformation to
Nonsmoker a Path of Spiritual and Personal Growth” and “Wise Practice:
Affective Education in the Inner City.”

He is
a President Emeritus of North Florida Writers and a former board member of
the Jacksonville First Coast chapter of the Florida Motion Picture and
Television Association. He also owns Hidden Owl LLC, which provides media
services to independent writers. For more information, go to his website at www.HiddenOwl.com
or email him at RichieL@clearwire. net

BookMark greets writers

who focus on working memory,

tales of Turner and today

.

Owner Rona Brinlee says The BookMark (220 1st St., Neptune Beach)
will host authors who focus on working memory and a narrative focusing on the
British painter Turner and a modern protagonist.

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University
of North Florida Psychology Professor Tracy Alloway and CEO of Memosyne,
Ltd. Ross Alloway will be at The BookMark at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, to
discuss and sign copies of their new book “The Working Memory: Train Your
Brain to Function Stronger, Smarter, Faster.” What if you could find a way
to better handle a crazy schedule? What if you could gain an advantage in
climbing the career ladder or in sports? What if there were a way to
improve your outlook on life, to face each day with more optimism and
confidence?

Tracy
and Ross Alloway are leading experts in working memory. They show how it is
the key to all that and more. Not only do they present important recent
breakthroughs, but they include tests to find out how good your memory is and
exercises to improve it.

Tracy
Alloway formerly was the director of the Center for Memory and Learning in
Lifespan at the University of Stirling. An expert on working memory and
education, she developed the internationally recognized Alloway Working
Memory Assessment.

Ross
Alloway brings working memory training to educators and parents. He
developed Jungle Memory, used by thousands of students in more than twenty
countries.

The
Alloways have been featured on the BBC, ABC News, The Huffington Post,
Salon, The Washington Post, and Newsweek.

.

Thomas
Van Essen, the author of “The Center of the World” (Other Press), will meet
readers at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21. The storyline alternates between
nineteenth-century England and present-day New York, as it tells the story of
renowned British painter J. M. W. Turner and his circle of patrons and
lovers. It is also the story of Henry Leiden, a middle-aged family man
with a troubled marriage and a dead-end job, who finds his life transformed
by his discovery of Turner's “The Center of the World,” a mesmerizing and
unsettling painting of Helen of Troy that was thought to be lost
forever.

.

Although
Henry stumbles upon the painting in a secret compartment at his summer home
in the Adirondacks, he can’t bear the thought of parting with the immensely
valuable work. Henry is transfixed by its revelation of a whole other world,
one of transcendent light, joy, and possibility. This debut novel has been
praised as "an utterly absorbing journey of the spell cast by
a secret painting on those few who have seen it over a hundred and fifty
years."

Finishing
touches are being placed on a paperback collection entitled “Alas, Poor Elvis,
I Knew Him, Bubba,” and the chief Elvisologist still needs items that will
establish to what extent Elvis’ influence is still to be seen in the 21st
Century. These submissions may be poems, short stories, articles, or even pop
culture-style papers.

Louis Menand basically was wondering what
the big deal was about Lynne
Truss’ popular “Eats, Shoots and Leaves.” He is picky about Truss’ choice of
punctuation.

13 Rules For Using Commas

Without Looking Like An Idiot

Christina Sterbenz, a
reporter for Business Insider, wants to help you to avoid looking like an
idiot when you punctuate. She correctly notes that you don’t just insert a
comma wherever you pause. (Someone with emphysema, for example, might perish
of an overdose of commas.) She comes out in favor of the Oxford comma, the
final comma in a series of three or more items. http://www.businessinsider.com/a-guide-to-proper-comma-use-2013-9

Jokes
for

grammar
nerds

Here is one of the jokes in the BuzzFeed
article that grammar nerds might like. “What do you say to comfort a grammar
Nazi?” Give up? “There, their, they’re.”

James
Walton also notes that Sophie Hannah has been given the green light by the
Agatha Christie estate to produce a tale about Poirot. Walton says that all
she “has to do to fulfil her mission is bring us a book in which the plot is
brilliant to the point of genius; in which the main character is someone from
whom most of us would run a mile in real life, but love in fiction; and in
which there’s quite a lot of undistinguished writing, lazy characterisation
and dodgy dialogue — none of which matter.”

Our
synopsis won’t try to list all 14 authors who have been jerks, but three of
them are Gore Vidal, Ernest Hemingway, and what’s her name who writes about
wizards and spells. (The columnist seems to say that authors who protect
their copyrights are behaving badly.)

Seamus Heaney, the
Nelson Mandela

of Irish poetry,
just wasn't that good. Sorry

Novelist
and journalist Sean Thomas interrupts all the praise for the recently
deceased Seamus Heaney and takes a contrary view. He says, “Why, then, did
Heaney become more famous than the infinitely superior Larkin? For a start,
unlike grumpy Philip Larkin, Heaney was, by all accounts, a charismatic,
sociable, and generous man. But the younger Heaney was also Irish,
republican, Left-wing and hairy when all this was à la mode. And once
the literary world decided Heaney was the Mandela of Irish Poetry, he became
irreproachable.” http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/seanthomas/100233782/seamus-heaney-the-nelson-mandela-of-irish-poetry-just-wasnt-that-good-sorry/

People
often lie about reading

classic
novels, survey finds

Hector Tobar uses George Costanza of “Seinfeld” as
an example of what can go wrong when someone pretends to have read a
book.He discusses a survey in the
U.K. that identifies several titles as ones most likely to be fibbed about,
including Orwell’s “1984,” Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” and Dickens’ “Great
Expectation” in the top three.

Michael
Balter asks, “When
did humans start talking? There are nearly as many answers to this perplexing
question as there are researchers studying it. A new brain imaging study
claims to support the hypothesis that language emerged long before Homo
sapiens and coevolved with the invention of the first finely made stone
tools nearly 2 million years ago.”

Eleven Untranslatable Words

From Other Cultures

When we read
translations of works from other languages, we are bound to wonder if the
translator got everything right. Would our own work be well treated by a
translator or would certain words confound the translator? .Ella Frances Sanders in Maptia has found eleven words that are difficult to translate. They
underline what Nietzsche said: “Words are but symbols for the
relations of things to one another and to us; nowhere do they touch upon the
absolute truth.” Have you heard of Waldeinsamkeit or Culaccino?

Why I Stopped Being a Grammar Snob

(And why you probably should, too)

Mary
Rolf tells how she was converted from being a grammar snob (or Nazi) to
someone more forgiving. In a college class, she learned there wasn’t a single
standard for Standard English. Instead, there is english (with a small “e”)
of Asia, China, etc. She doesn’t mention that there are more Chinese using
English than Americans. Her piece doesn’t address the matter of the Power
Dialect. For that, you will have to turn to other books, such as the
newsletter editor’s own “The Wrong Stuff: Findings of a Forensic Grammarian.”
(Blast it all! A shameless plug.) https://medium.com/i-m-h-o/aac6634d79af

The
list includes novelists, poets, playwrights, nonfiction authors, writers for
the small and silver screen, and others.

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Looking
for your favorite writer? Hit “find” at the website and type in your
favorite’s name. Keep scrolling to find writers born in other months.

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With
misgivings, the list generally omits lyricists (to avoid the plethora of
garage-band guitarists who knock out a lyric in two minutes to go with a
tune). Often lyricists are accomplished in other writing areas and may cause
their inclusion (e.g., Bob Dylan, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter).

.

Unfortunately,
some writers fret about identity theft and will only say they were born in
1972 or whenever. Typically that means they don’t get included on a “born
this day” list. Recommendation: Writers may wish to create a “pen birthday”;
that way, their names stay on the public’s radar.

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If
you see that we have omitted a writer, give us his or her name (and
preferably a way to verify the belly-button day).

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NFW suspends

dues indefinitely

.

The
North Florida Writers has suspended its membership dues for an indefinite
period. The treasury has stabilized at a comfortable level, and the NFW does
not have any appreciable expenses. Members suspected we could go without dues
for a couple of years and perhaps more. During this period, anyone may attend
and participate in the monthly meetings. (Even with dues, writers were free
to attend a few meetings to see if the NFW would suit their needs.)